16 Celebs Who Were Famous In The '80s But Are Mostly Forgotten About Today

Though Cates no longer partakes in acting or the Hollywood lifestyle, her work in Gremlins and Fast Times at Ridgemont High — particularly that very iconic pool scene — will live on in Hollywood history.

Howell commanded the big screen in the ’80s with unforgettable roles in films like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Hitcher, The Outsiders, and Red Dawn. 

Unless you’re an NBA fan, you probably forgot all about Jami Gertz. Now a minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks basketball team, she was once everyone’s celeb crush thanks to films like Crossroads, Sixteen Candles, and The Lost Boys. Had she not turned down the role of Monica in Friends, that popularity would’ve likely carried over into current pop culture.

Ghostbusters, Spaceballs, Little Shop of Horrors, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Parenthood… Rick Moranis had an undeniably iconic run in the ’80s. After losing his wife in the ’90s, his focus understandably shifted to fatherhood. He stopped appearing on our screens, but we’ll always appreciate the gems he provided in his early years.

McGillis was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in 1985’s Witness, starred as Charlie in Top Gun the following year, then played Kathryn in 1988’s The Accused (which earned costar Jodie Foster her first Oscar win). It’s a cinematic run worth celebrating, even if McGillis isn’t a household name anymore.

Though he eventually ditched acting to become an attorney, Jeff Cohen left his mark in film history as Chunk in The Goonies. The Truffle Shuffle will always live on in our hearts. 

Having A Nightmare on Elm Street, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Better Off Dead on your resume is definitely a flex. Wyss was a busy movie star during the ’80s, but has mostly worked on TV shows since the ’90s. 

National Lampoon’s Vacation, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Johnny Be Good… Anthony Michael Hall had a phenomenal run in the ’80s as one of the “Brat Pack” members.

Though Winger’s breakout role was on the Wonder Woman TV series in the ’70s, it was the ’80s that made her a film star. She received Academy Award nominations for her roles in Terms of Endearment and An Officer and a Gentleman.

As if starring in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off wasn’t iconic enough, Mia Sara also played prominent characters in Apprentice to Murder and Legend.

Andrew McCarthy’s ’80s acting resume includes St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink, Weekend at Bernie’s, Mannequin, and Less Than Zero. Needless to say, it was an excellent era for him as a performer.

Sheedy’s breakout film role happened in 1983 as J.C. Walenski in the Sean Penn-led Bad Boys. However, her popularity grew exponentially thanks to notable roles in The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo’s Fire, and she’ll always be remembered as one of the “Brat Pack” stars of her era.

Rutger Hauer was a force to be reckoned with in the ’80s thanks to films like Blade Runner, The Hitcher, and Wanted: Dead or Alive.

With roles in films like Wall Street, Blade Runner, and Steel Magnolias, Hannah solidified her status as an ’80s movie star. She isn’t doing much in the public eye these days, but she did have a minor comeback with the Kill Bill movies in the early 2000s.

These days, Estevez is often overshadowed by his brother Charlie Sheen and their father, Martin Sheen. However, Emilio was unstoppable in the ’80s, starring in classics like The Outsiders, The Breakfast Club, and St. Elmo’s Fire.

While she was mostly a television actor, Morgan found massive success on the big screen with groundbreaking projects like Tron and Caddyshack.